Tracker Pixel for Entry

​Adam and Eve and Adam

Cinema | March 18th, 2015

Craig Zobel’s ‘Z for Zachariah’By Greg Carlson

Craig Zobel’s film adaptation of “Z for Zachariah” is so loosely based on the book of the same name that fans of the novel will puzzle over many of the radical changes from page to screen.

Written by Robert Leslie Conly under his pen name Robert C. O’Brien, “Z for Zachariah” was completed by the author’s wife and daughter following Conly’s death in 1973. Sometimes unfairly lumped in with other more recent young adult dystopian fiction that has made the jump to cinema, “Z for Zachariah” is quieter and more contemplative than “The Giver” (1993), “The Hunger Games” (2008), “The Maze Runner” (2009) and “Divergent” (2011).

Zobel, working from a script by Nissar Modi, reimagines the Adam/Eve allegory as a love triangle, adding a third character absent in the book.

Margot Robbie is the ponderously named Ann Burden, a preacher’s daughter who appears to be the only human survivor of some unnamed catastrophe. Ann and her dog inhabit the family farm, doing the best they can to survive in a verdant valley somehow spared from the deadly radiation that has apparently settled over the rest of the world.

One day, Ann encounters scientist John Loomis (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and both are surprised to discover another living person. Loomis and Ann bond partially over the delight and relief that comes from simple human companionship, and Zobel does an excellent job of heightening the sexual tension as the two grow closer.

Reviewers of the novel remarked on several themes that have been retained by the filmmaker; chief among them is the sharp contrast between man of science Loomis, who engineers all kinds of improvements to the operation of the farm, and woman of faith Ann, whose religious beliefs stand in the way of destroying the church her father built (Loomis wants to use the wood to fashion a waterwheel).

The introduction of Caleb (Chris Pine) effectively disintegrates the movie’s Edenic considerations and, as argued by Bilge Ebiri, “turns a moody, absorbing portrait of a compromised relationship into something more schematic and melodramatic.”

Zobel is so good with his actors that some viewers may appreciate the application of the triangle trope.

Zobel also offers icebox talk regarding unspoken dimensions of Ann’s position between the two men, including implications addressing both age and race. The impact of Caleb on Ann and Loomis is modulated by Zobel to include the possibility that the new visitor might be a dangerous encroacher whose motives are hidden. Caleb’s presence causes the viewer to ponder how we might act if we were in Ann’s situation. Zobel shifts his own explorations of gender into different territory than the original text: in the novel, Ann flees Loomis for a nearby cave.

Shot by Tim Orr in gorgeous outdoor locations in New Zealand on a modest budget, “Z for Zachariah” adds another reason to watch the career of the talented moviemaker. Matthew Munn’s production design and Ken Turner’s art direction excel in describing a real sense of place.

Robbie, Ejiofor and Pine layer their characters with subtleties sometimes missing from the inevitable conflicts that attend the final actions of the story. Zobel, however, cagily holds back one key piece of visual information at the film’s climax, and the choice renders some ambiguity in a moment that might otherwise have been heavy-handed.

“Z for Zachariah” premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and will be released theatrically later this year.

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com Rodeo is a family tradition for sisters Kate and Tera Flitton. The duo performs under the moniker Stellar Trick Riding Cowgirls. The Utah natives will be performing along with bareback riders,…

Saturday, April 19, 8 p.m. doors open at 7 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N Broadway, FargoCheck out this cult classic on the big screen as a live band performs along with David Bowie’s vocals, all while basking in the Art Deco glory…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com I feel like reading a newspaper is the equivalent of listening to music on vinyl. Not only is it analog, it’s an experience. I might be a little biased, but there's something about the rustling…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comA column on How Trumusklicans are trying to change historyIt took William L. Shirer a couple decades to write and then publish “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich: A History of Nazi Germany,”…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Photos by Rick GionLiving in downtown Fargo has its perks. One of them is taking walks along Broadway and peeking into the restaurants and shops for a glimpse of what’s new. Sometimes this makes a…

Mooncats and Pert Near Sandstone play Empire TheatreBy Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comThe MoonCats describe themselves as “Americonscious Campfire Folk.” They have a clear acoustic folk sound with a sense of whimsy — think…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com Making her feature directorial debut, Rachael Abigail Holder guides “Love, Brooklyn” to a satisfying conclusion, even if some viewers might have hoped for a different outcome for the…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comPhoto by Chad Nodland, "Artistic Freedom"On January 19, 2025, the last full day of Joe Biden’s presidency, he commuted Leonard Peltier's two consecutive life sentences to home confinement at his…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Gilbert Kuipersgilbertkuipers@outlook.com I live in North Dakota District 24 and have been challenging the district Republicans about their understanding of climate science for years. There has been no serious response to my…